At Home in the World

Art & Architecture

Hot Tables

Along the 606

Courtesy Parson's Chicken & Fish

10:28PM

The jewel of America’s Midwest is rich in great architecture, of course (three of the country’s five tallest buildings—including the 1,450-foot Willis Tower—are located here), but there’s also excellent shopping in trendy neighborhoods like Wicker Park; extraordinary hotels (like The Langham, housed in a classic Mies van der Rohe skyscraper)…and exceptionally warm people. Not to mention the food scene, home to chefs like Grant Achatz (of Alinea) and Paul Kahan (the Publican). Who needs the coasts when you’ve got all this?

The one-time home of architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan is a design- and culture-lover's paradise, with enough stately facades and contemporary art to bring visitors back for repeat visits.

The Langham's elegant, mid-century modern-inspired setting is matched by stellar art—a Jaume Plensa sculpture greets you in the lobby—and a hotel-wide regard for architecture, from the Hedrich Blessing black-and-white photos to the riverfront views framed by floor-to-ceiling windows.

A hipster crash pad above one of Logan Square's buzziest restaurants, Longman & Eagle is full of rough-hewn elements like exposed brick and wood-plank walls. Organic touches like hanging terrariums make it feel like your starter apartment in the city.

They don't build them like the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel anymore. Venetian Gothic exterior gives way to 19th-century interior of carved stone fireplaces, terrazzo floors, and leaded glass, all freshly restored. Come for the design, and stay for the location and amenities.

Virgin Hotels' Chicago outpost is all about friction. It's buzzy in public and serene in private. It's in a statey old bank building, contrasted by cheeky accents and a cherry red color scheme. It's a once clubby and restreat-like.